[9/14/04]The cost of new homes in Warren County could go up by as much as $5,000 each, according to some developers, if supervisors approve a subdivision ordinance requiring basic standards for roads and drainage.

The latest version of the proposal requires all new subdivisions to have paved roads that meet county specifications. Many of the 15 developers at a public hearing Monday said that will increase their costs and the cost of the lots they sell.

Jim Hopson, a local Realtor and developer, said that young couples who are buying mobile homes today will be priced out of the market.

“A lot of people are buying (mobile homes) because that’s all they can afford and they can’t afford another $5,000,” Hopson said.

The regulations would apply to manufactured home parks as well as developments for conventional or “stick-built” homes.

Supervisors often hear citizen pleas to repair roads the county has refused to accept into public maintenance because they were poorly built. The change would force landowners to meet the standards or not be allowed to tie into public roads.

The proposed regulations have been debated since April and another public hearing was Monday night.

“The majority of you guys are going out there and doing a good job,” said District 4 Supervisor Carl Flanders, “but we’ve got some people who are not and people are getting taken.”

Most of the proposed changes deal with the way developers go about preparing plans for housing developments. The rules lay out a step-by-step process with county oversight and approval along the way.

Royce Rogers, a local developer, urged supervisors to make the rules optional.

“If a man wants to buy a lot on a privately maintained road and pay less in taxes he should have that right,” Rogers said.

County Engineer John McKee said that while some developers continue to maintain private roads after the homes are sold, many streets have been abandoned.

“There are a number of citizens out there living on private roads that can’t get anyone out there to do anything about it,” McKee said.

“Y’all are wanting to take control of all the roads and I hate to say this, but you’re not taking very good control of the roads you already have,” Rogers said. “And there’s nothing wrong with living on a gravel road.”

Board President Charles Selmon said that supervisors will accept written comments about the proposed ordinance until 5 p.m. Friday and will consider those comments next week. It was the board’s second public hearing on the topic. The regulations were softened after the first round, including an exclusion for subdivisions with fewer than five lots.

Selmon said that it has not been decided if there will be another public hearing. If supervisors vote to adopt the changes, the new rules would go into effect about 30 days later and would exclude existing developments.

Inside most corporate limits, there are zoning and building standards and licensure is required for most crafts to assure safety and other construction standards are met. Most new developments are outside corporate limits and standards are set by private covenants, if they exist at all.